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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 116 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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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 — with your hand
  2. stock — goods
  3. band — a music group
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wake — a trail
  12. band — a ring
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stock — shares
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chair — a leader
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. hand — help
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  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