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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. net — after costs
  14. stock — shares
  15. net — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. net — for catching
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stock — goods
  22. fork — in a road
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stock — a soup base

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