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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 120 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: wave · stock · bank · hand · safe · lean · mate · track

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — in cards
  3. lean — thin
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hand — help
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bank — for money
  9. mate — a partner
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — goods
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stock — shares
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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