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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · ball · land · bank · wound · march · stick · band

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — the month
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a dance
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. band — a music group
  10. ball — a great time
  11. land — ground
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. march — the month
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wound — an injury
  17. march — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a ring

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