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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.

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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: tube · bank · track · tear · stock · spell · rush · wave

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bank — for money
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. spell — letters
  10. stock — goods
  11. bank — for money
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bank — of a river
  19. spell — magic
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stock — shares
  22. track — a song
  23. tube — a container
  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