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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. spell — magic
  3. craft — boats
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. craft — a skill
  6. spell — letters
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stock — goods

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