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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stock — goods
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fall — the season
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stock — shares
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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