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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: safe · mouse · bank · field · cold · cell · chip · mine

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. chip — to eat
  5. field — farmland
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cold — an illness
  10. field — for sport
  11. cold — not warm
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mine — for digging
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cell — a phone
  24. field — a subject

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