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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: file · safe · wave · bank · jam · pop · tear · fall

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bank — for money
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bank — for money
  5. fall — to drop
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. fall — the season
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fall — to drop
  11. file — a tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. file — a document
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pop — soda

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