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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bass — low music
  10. shower — to wash
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stock — goods
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. stock — shares
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wake — a trail
  21. toast — bread
  22. bass — the fish
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stand — for spectators

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