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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. net — in sport
  6. cold — not warm
  7. stock — goods
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. net — after costs
  12. wind — moving air
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cold — an illness
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. net — for catching
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wind — moving air
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — shares
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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