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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. present — the time now
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rule — a law
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cell — a phone
  8. present — there
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rule — government
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stock — goods
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. present — a gift
  23. row — a line
  24. rule — to rule out

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