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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. land — ground
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stock — shares
  5. staff — employees
  6. bat — the animal
  7. face — to confront
  8. rush — hurry
  9. land — to come down
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. land — a country
  16. stock — goods
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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