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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: wake · hand · stock · rush · leaves · rest · fall · dip

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wake — a trail
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fall — the season
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stock — shares
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hand — help
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stock — goods
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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