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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rest — a break
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — goods
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spell — magic
  17. fall — the season
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. press — to push
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — shares
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. press — a publisher

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