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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. march — the month
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stock — shares
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. staff — employees
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stock — goods
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. staff — a stick

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