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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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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 · kid · deal · spring · pit · rest · track · safe

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. track — a path
  3. bank — for money
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pit — a hole
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pit — in a race
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. kid — to tease
  16. track — to keep track
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. kid — child
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — a break
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rest — what's left
  23. track — a song
  24. bank — of a river

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