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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stock — goods
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. snap — to click
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stock — shares
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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