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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stock — shares
  3. race — a contest
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. race — the arms race
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. spell — magic
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stock — goods
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. spell — letters
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rush — hurry
  21. race — humankind
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. spell — a short time

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