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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rush — hurry
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stock — shares
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bank — for money
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mark — a grade

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