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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stock — goods
  6. dip — to sink
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stock — shares
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. file — a tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bear — the animal
  24. dip — to dunk

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