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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stock — shares
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stock — goods
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. prune — to trim
  10. face — to confront
  11. ball — a dance
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ball — a great time
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. face — to point toward
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. roll — a list
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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