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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: stand · safe · fan · bark · key · rest · wave · fine

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rest — a break
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fine — all right
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. key — the most important part
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stand — for spectators

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