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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stock — shares
  5. ground — the earth
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ground — a position
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. dip — to sink
  22. season — in sport
  23. tube — a container
  24. lash — to lash out

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