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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. face — to point toward
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. land — a country
  15. club — a group
  16. land — ground
  17. club — for golf
  18. face — part of the head
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stock — shares
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. land — to come down
  23. club — for dancing
  24. face — to confront

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