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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stock — shares
  3. object — a thing
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. snap — to click
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. object — to protest
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. object — an aim
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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