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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: safe · stick · row · bank · swing · rush · kid · object

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. kid — to tease
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. object — a thing
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. row — to paddle
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bank — for money
  19. kid — child
  20. row — a line
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. swing — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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