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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. suit — to fit
  6. craft — boats
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wind — moving air
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — goods
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stock — shares
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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