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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stock — shares
  5. charge — a price
  6. suit — to fit
  7. clip — to cut
  8. charge — in control
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stock — goods
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. charge — electricity
  15. clip — a video
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. suit — in cards
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. suit — clothes
  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