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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stock — goods
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stock — shares
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rash — a series
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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