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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: rush · tear · stand · file · stock · wake · rest · pop

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. stock — shares
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rest — a break
  6. file — a tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pop — soda
  13. tear — to rip
  14. file — a document
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tear — from crying
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stock — goods
  20. rush — hurry
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pop — music
  23. stand — for spectators
  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