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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: firm · safe · bay · field · cabinet · straw · plane · bank

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. field — farmland
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bank — for money
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. firm — steady
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. field — a subject
  18. bank — for money
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — for sport
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. plane — a tool

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