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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mug — a face
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stock — goods
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stock — shares
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. hand — help

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