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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 120 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 · tear · plane · mate · chest · stock · nail · wake

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. plane — a tool
  4. tear — from crying
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — shares
  7. chest — of your body
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stock — goods
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — a partner
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chest — a box
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bank — for money
  24. tear — from crying

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