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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stock — goods
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. shower — rain
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. race — a contest
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. shower — to wash
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. sharp — clever
  24. trunk — of a tree

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