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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: band · wake · net · stick · bark · land · last · safe

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. net — in sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bark — to shout
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. band — a music group
  15. land — a country
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — a trail
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. net — after costs
  20. land — to come down
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. land — ground
  24. last — to go on

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