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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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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: stick · bank · object · cap · hand · content · safe · mouse

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. content — happy
  7. hand — help
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bank — for money
  14. object — a thing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. bank — of a river
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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