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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. season — in sport
  9. land — to come down
  10. season — of the year
  11. land — a country
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stock — goods
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. land — ground
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stock — shares
  24. hide — to keep secret

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