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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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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. track — a song
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. present — there
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. present — a gift
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. present — the time now
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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