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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 120 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.

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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: suit · safe · bank · cap · saw · stand · fall · snap

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cap — a hat
  5. snap — to click
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bank — of a river
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bank — for money
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bank — for money
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fall — the season
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stand — to bear
  19. suit — in cards
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. saw — the tool

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