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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: bank · wake · stock · stick · rest · chip · plane · wound

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bank — for money
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — for money
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rest — a break
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — in geometry

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