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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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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: stock · tear · stick · bank · rule · wake

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rule — a law
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rule — government
  10. bank — for money
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stock — shares
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — of a river
  18. tear — from crying

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