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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: band · wave · safe · stock · bass · snap · pass · bear

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stock — goods
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. snap — to click
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bass — low music
  12. stock — shares
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pass — a permit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. band — a ring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bass — the fish
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. band — a music group

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