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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: lean · shower · lash · current · bass · bulb · bank · stock

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lean — to bend
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — thin
  10. bass — low music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — goods
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bulb — for light
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stock — shares
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — of a river

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