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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: wake · tear · bank · mate · tube · pop · rash · stand

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pop — music
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rash — a series
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pop — soda
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — for money
  16. tube — a container
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stand — to bear
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rash — hasty

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