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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.

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: rash · bank · calf · stock · cell · wake · safe · land

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. stock — shares
  6. wake — a trail
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bank — for money
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rash — a series
  14. land — a country
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bank — for money
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stock — goods
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. calf — a young animal

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