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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.

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: wake · bank · arm · wave · field · mate · can · stock

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — of a river
  5. can — a tin
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. field — farmland
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bank — for money
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. field — a subject
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stock — goods
  18. wake — a trail
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bank — for money
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. field — for sport

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