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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. kick — in football
  7. can — a tin
  8. tear — to rip
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. tear — from crying
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. can — to be able to
  24. leaves — of a tree

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