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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — goods
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stock — shares
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. game — wild animals
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rush — a thrill

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