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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rest — a break
  3. march — the month
  4. can — a tin
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. stock — shares
  8. net — after costs
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stock — goods
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. can — a tin
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. net — in sport
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. net — for catching
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. branch — a division
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. can — to be able to

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