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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stand — to bear
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stock — shares
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. craft — boats
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bulb — for light
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. stock — goods
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. kid — child

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