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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stock — goods
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rest — a break
  21. stock — shares
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  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