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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: date · mate · wake · roll · bank · rest · firm · stick

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rest — a break
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bank — of a river
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. rest — what's left
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bank — for money
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — a partner
  20. firm — decided
  21. mate — a friend
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bank — for money

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