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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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stock — goods
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. land — a country
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fine — all right
  8. land — ground
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fine — high quality
  11. land — to come down
  12. bank — for money
  13. squash — to crush
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. kick — in football
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bank — of a river

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