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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stock — goods
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rest — what's left
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. mug — a face
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. roll — a list
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rest — a break
  24. mug — a cup

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