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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: wake · dip · fall · hide · tube · craft · bark · stock

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stock — shares
  3. wake — a trail
  4. tube — a container
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bark — to shout
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fall — to drop
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. dip — to sink
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. craft — a skill
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. craft — boats
  24. hide — to keep secret

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