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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: stock · bulb · prune · chip · wake · dip · rush · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stock — shares
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stock — goods
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wake — before a funeral

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