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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 · bound · sharp · safe · straw · mark · stock · spring

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spring — of water
  3. bound — certain
  4. stock — shares
  5. bound — obliged
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bank — of a river
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bank — for money
  10. bound — tied together
  11. spring — the season
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bank — for money
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stock — goods
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. sharp — exactly

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