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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stock — goods
  5. pop — to visit
  6. file — a tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. file — a line of people
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pop — music
  12. season — in sport
  13. pop — soda
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — of the year
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mark — a grade
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mark — a trace
  23. file — a document
  24. stock — shares

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