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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — goods
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spell — letters
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rock — music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rest — a break
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spell — magic

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