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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stock — shares
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rush — hurry
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. clip — a video
  18. stand — to bear
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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