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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.

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: drill · tube · stock · kick · wind · mark · leaves · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stock — shares
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wind — moving air
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. tube — a container
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wind — moving air
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stock — goods
  17. mark — a grade
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. kick — in football
  24. stock — a soup base

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