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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mouse · stock · charge · plane · degree · ruler · wound

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stock — goods
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. degree — temperature
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. charge — in control
  20. plane — a tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. degree — an amount
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stock — shares

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