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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — wild animals
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stock — goods
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stock — shares
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. march — music
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. game — a match
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. march — the month
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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