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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rash — a series
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stock — shares
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rush — hurry
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. clip — a video
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. sharp — clever
  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