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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lean — thin
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lean — to bend
  8. present — there
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cue — a hint
  12. present — the time now
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. root — of a word
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stock — goods
  22. present — a gift
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. root — the cause

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