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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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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: leaves · file · stock · bank · kid · wave

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. kid — child
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bank — for money
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. file — a tool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. file — a document
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stock — a soup base

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