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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. file — a tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. file — a document
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stock — shares
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stock — goods
  11. file — a line of people
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chest — of your body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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