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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 116 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: stock · fork · squash · lean · safe · fan · bank · saw

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. squash — to crush
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lean — thin
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — shares
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bank — of a river
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. squash — the sport

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