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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: bulb · club · rest · wake · face · bank · stock · patient

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. face — to point toward
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. club — a group
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rest — a break
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — for golf
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — to confront
  17. bank — for money
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stock — shares
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stock — goods
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bank — of a river

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