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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. clip — for paper
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — a series
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. clip — a video
  21. wake — a trail
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stock — goods

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