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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · hide · ball · leaves · pitcher · fall · wave · stock

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stock — goods
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fall — to drop
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fall — the season
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. swing — music
  22. stock — shares
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitcher — a jug

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