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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · safe · bank · kick · mug · row · bound · clip

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bank — of a river
  3. clip — for paper
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. kick — in football
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mug — a cup
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bound — obliged
  11. row — a line
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. clip — to cut
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mug — a face
  23. clip — a video
  24. kick — a thrill

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