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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bank · stock · pop · wake · arm · tear · dip · mouse

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — shares
  4. pop — soda
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stock — goods
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. tear — to rip

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