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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stock — goods
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fine — high quality
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stock — shares
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fine — all right
  21. wind — moving air
  22. toast — bread
  23. season — in sport
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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