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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. staff — employees
  4. stock — goods
  5. face — to confront
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stock — shares
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. staff — employees
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stock — a soup base

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