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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: dip · fan · race · hide · bass · stock · bank · rush

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. race — a contest
  4. rush — hurry
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bank — of a river
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bass — low music
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stock — shares
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bank — for money
  18. stock — goods
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. race — humankind
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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