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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 120 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: coach · wound · present · cap · bank · safe · lean · rule

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bank — for money
  5. lean — thin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bank — for money
  11. present — a gift
  12. rule — a law
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. present — there
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rule — government
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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