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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stock — goods
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fall — the season
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. craft — a skill
  11. press — to push
  12. stock — shares
  13. bass — low music
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. craft — boats
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rest — a break
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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