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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: safe · stand · last · hand · saw · degree · object · bank

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. last — final
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — for money
  5. object — a thing
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stand — to bear
  11. last — to go on
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. last — finally
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. bank — for money
  23. saw — the tool
  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