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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: staff · last · spring · bank · present · cabinet · safe · saw

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. last — final
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. last — finally
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. staff — employees
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bank — of a river
  13. last — to go on
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. present — a gift
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spring — the season
  19. staff — employees
  20. spring — of water
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. staff — a stick

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