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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 116 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
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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: straw · rest · firm · fine · shower · mine · stock · bank

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — for money
  3. rest — a break
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. firm — a company
  7. stock — shares
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. shower — to wash
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bank — of a river
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. firm — steady
  17. bank — for money
  18. firm — decided
  19. stock — goods
  20. fine — all right
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mine — for digging
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rest — what's left

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