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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · bank · safe · straw · mine · mate · court · ground

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mate — a partner
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. court — of law
  13. sharp — clever
  14. court — for sport
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. court — of a king
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com