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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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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: band · shower · bowl · stock · branch · can · lash · tube

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. branch — a division
  12. tube — the underground
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. shower — rain
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — a container
  20. band — a music group
  21. shower — to wash
  22. can — to be able to
  23. band — a ring
  24. stock — goods

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