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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. object — to protest
  4. firm — steady
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stock — shares
  7. rash — a series
  8. firm — decided
  9. object — a thing
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rest — a break
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chest — a box
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. object — an aim
  22. stock — goods
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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