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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. present — there
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stock — shares
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. present — a gift
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. present — the time now
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rash — hasty
  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