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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stock — goods
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stock — shares
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bound — certain
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — of the year
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. sharp — clever
  24. hide — animal skin

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