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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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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stock — goods
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bulb — for light
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lie — to recline
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bank — for money
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bank — for money

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