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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. dip — to sink
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. season — of the year
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stock — goods
  9. spring — a coil
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. file — a tool
  12. spring — of water
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mark — a trace
  18. season — in sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. spring — the season
  21. mark — a grade
  22. deal — to handle
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wave — of the sea

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