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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ground — a position
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. net — for catching
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lean — thin
  7. stock — goods
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. net — after costs
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. net — in sport

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