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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stock — goods
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. last — final
  14. stock — shares
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cold — an illness
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cold — not warm
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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