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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · bank · toast · stock · dip · wake · cell · rash

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stock — goods
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wake — a trail
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. bank — for money
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rash — a series
  22. stock — shares
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rash — on the skin

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