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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rule — a law
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stock — goods
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chest — of your body
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. chest — a box
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. branch — a division
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rule — government
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stock — shares
  23. snap — to click
  24. branch — of a bank

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