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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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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: club · ruler · cap · bank · trunk · roll · safe · tear

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. club — a group
  3. roll — a list
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bank — for money
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cap — a hat
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — of ice
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bank — of a river
  16. club — for golf
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — for money
  19. tear — from crying
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. tear — from crying
  22. club — for dancing
  23. roll — a cake
  24. trunk — of a car

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