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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — in sport
  4. stock — shares
  5. cue — a hint
  6. net — for catching
  7. branch — a division
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. net — after costs
  13. cue — a signal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cue — for pool
  20. object — a thing
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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