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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 · wind · lie · last · root · craft · can

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — to go on
  3. wind — moving air
  4. can — a tin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. can — to be able to
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. craft — a skill
  15. root — the cause
  16. bank — for money
  17. root — of a word
  18. lie — to recline
  19. last — final
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. last — finally
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. craft — boats

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