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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. plane — a tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mug — a face
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. land — ground
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. foot — a measure
  14. land — to come down
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. kick — in football
  17. shower — rain
  18. mug — a cup
  19. land — a country
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stock — a soup base

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