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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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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: wave · cold · stock · leaves · board · deal

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stock — shares
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stock — goods
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. board — to get on
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cold — an illness
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. board — a committee
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cold — not warm
  18. leaves — to go away

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