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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.

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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: safe · bank · march · lean · mark · bat · wind · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — the month
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. firm — decided
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bank — of a river
  9. firm — a company
  10. mark — a grade
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bank — for money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. march — music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bank — for money
  22. march — the month
  23. lean — to bend
  24. safe — a strongbox

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