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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. present — a gift
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cap — of ice
  8. present — there
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cap — a lid
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. present — the time now
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wave — of the sea

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