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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: rest · stock · bass · temple · wave · object · wind · prune

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wind — moving air
  6. object — to protest
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. object — an aim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stock — shares
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rest — a break
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bass — low music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stock — goods
  21. prune — to trim
  22. object — a thing
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rest — what's left

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