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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — shares
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stock — goods
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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