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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 124 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. branch — a division
  3. chest — a box
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. chest — of your body
  7. object — a thing
  8. stock — shares
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pass — a permit
  12. object — to protest
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. object — an aim

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