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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. chest — a box
  3. bound — certain
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bound — tied together
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pop — soda
  12. stock — shares
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pop — music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stock — goods
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pop — to visit
  22. craft — boats
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. tear — from crying

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