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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 · cap · bank · nail · safe · mine · straw · chair

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cap — a hat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cap — a lid
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bank — for money
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — of ice
  24. chair — a professorship

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