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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. net — for catching
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wound — an injury
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — after costs
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. net — in sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stock — goods
  22. kick — in football
  23. can — a tin
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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