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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mark — a trace
  4. last — to go on
  5. stock — goods
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. last — final
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bank — for money
  13. stock — shares
  14. content — happy
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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