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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: date · safe · plane · stock · swing · band · bank · wake

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a music group
  3. swing — to play on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. plane — a tool
  7. swing — music
  8. stock — shares
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. swing — in golf
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bank — for money
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. band — a ring
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stock — goods
  17. bank — for money
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bank — of a river
  24. date — the fruit

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