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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. track — a song
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stock — shares
  16. branch — a division
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wind — moving air
  22. dip — to sink
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. track — to keep track

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