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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fall — the season
  4. stock — goods
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — in music
  17. stock — shares
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. scale — size or range
  24. snap — to click

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