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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stock — goods
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. board — to get on
  9. shower — to wash
  10. band — a music group
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rest — a break
  13. board — a committee
  14. stock — shares
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. band — a ring
  24. leaves — of a tree

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