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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: kid · tube · safe · toast · bank · can · cap · wound

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. tube — the underground
  5. can — to be able to
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — a container
  8. bank — for money
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cap — a lid
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bank — for money
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. can — a tin
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wound — an injury
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. safe — a strongbox

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