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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: stock · current · wake · scale · firm · rest · lean · branch

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rest — what's left
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. current — happening now
  6. lean — to bend
  7. firm — steady
  8. lean — thin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. firm — a company
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. current — of water
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. firm — decided
  19. current — electric
  20. scale — in music
  21. rest — a break
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wake — a trail
  24. branch — a division

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