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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: stock · craft · bank · wave · spring · bulb · cell · row

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. spring — the season
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bank — of a river
  16. craft — boats
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. stock — goods
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stock — shares
  22. spring — of water
  23. row — a line
  24. cell — a phone

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