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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: fall · wind · safe · wake · bank · bark · date · stick

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fall — the season
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wind — moving air
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wind — to turn a key

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