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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: pop · stick · drill · lean · stock · bank · shower · spell

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. shower — to wash
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — to bend
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. bank — for money
  14. drill — army training
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stock — shares
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stock — goods
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. lean — thin

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