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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: bank · wound · stock · degree · jam · wake · vault · lash

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wound — an injury
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stock — shares
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stock — goods
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wound — an injury
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. degree — temperature

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