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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lean — thin
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. face — to confront
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stock — goods
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wind — moving air
  16. roll — a list
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. suit — clothes
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. suit — in cards

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