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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: file · chest · rule · stock · dip · bank · season · wake

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. file — a tool
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bank — of a river
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rule — government
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. file — a document
  14. chest — a box
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stock — goods
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bank — for money
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stock — shares
  23. rule — a law
  24. season — of the year

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