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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · stock · race · wave · chair · straw

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. file — a document
  7. chair — a leader
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. race — humankind
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stock — goods
  12. file — a tool
  13. race — a contest
  14. stock — shares
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. race — the arms race
  18. chair — a professorship

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