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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 120 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 · tear · present · arm · bank · spell · stock · row

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. tear — from crying
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. row — a line
  13. spell — magic
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stock — shares
  22. row — to paddle
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. tear — from crying

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