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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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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: last · bank · safe · wake · kid · wind · firm · hide

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. hide — animal skin
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bank — for money
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. last — to go on
  16. firm — a company
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. firm — decided
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wake — a trail
  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