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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. kick — in football
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stock — shares
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rash — a series
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bank — for money
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stock — goods

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