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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stock — goods
  7. cold — not warm
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — shares
  10. content — happy
  11. tear — from crying
  12. content — the amount
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rash — a series
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. tear — from crying

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