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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stock — goods
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. suit — to fit
  10. spell — magic
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. spell — letters
  14. bank — of a river
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — shares

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