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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stock — goods
  4. last — finally
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. drill — a practice
  9. firm — decided
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. firm — steady
  14. drill — army training
  15. last — to go on
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. firm — a company
  18. last — final
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stock — shares
  24. wave — with your hand

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