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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cell — a phone
  3. staff — employees
  4. stock — shares
  5. pass — a permit
  6. staff — employees
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stock — goods
  9. cell — in biology
  10. object — to protest
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mark — a grade
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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