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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stock — goods
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stock — shares
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. march — the month
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. march — music
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bark — to shout
  24. march — the month

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