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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: roll · safe · stock · row · wound · saw · bank · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. row — to paddle
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stock — goods
  10. bank — of a river
  11. roll — a list
  12. stock — shares
  13. row — a line
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. roll — a cake
  24. band — a ring

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