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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. stock — goods
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. clip — to cut
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a dance
  9. last — finally
  10. stock — shares
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fall — the season
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. clip — a video
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lean — thin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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