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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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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 · stock · patient · arm · lash · bank · vault · tear

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stock — goods
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stock — shares
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bank — for money
  17. tear — from crying
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bank — of a river
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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