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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mate — to breed
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stock — shares
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. swing — music
  24. stock — goods

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