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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 116 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: band · wave · safe · stock · bass · snap

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to click
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. band — a ring
  15. stock — shares
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stock — goods
  18. band — a music group

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