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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: bank · leaves · safe · sharp · suit · hand · coach · ground

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ground — a position
  3. hand — help
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bank — of a river
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. suit — clothes
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ground — crushed
  12. suit — to fit
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bank — for money
  15. hand — in cards
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — the earth
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bank — for money
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. sharp — clever
  24. hand — part of the body

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