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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.

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: trunk · safe · stock · racket · clip · bank · fall · spring

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. clip — a video
  4. bank — for money
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. spring — a coil
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stock — shares
  14. bank — for money
  15. clip — to cut
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. fall — the season
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fall — to drop
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stock — goods

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