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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. last — final
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rest — a break
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — goods
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stock — shares
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. last — to go on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. last — finally
  20. ball — a dance
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wave — with your hand

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