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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: clip · bank · season · object · cabinet · bore · leaves · safe

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bank — of a river
  3. object — a thing
  4. bank — for money
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bore — to tire
  7. clip — a video
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. object — to protest
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — for money
  18. clip — to cut
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bore — to drill

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