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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: rock · cold · perch · safe · mark · bank · pound · kick

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cold — not warm
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rock — music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mark — a grade
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pound — a weight
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rock — a stone

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