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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. swing — music
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bat — the animal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fine — all right
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lean — thin
  24. swing — to play on

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