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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 120 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: lie · object · spring · cabinet · scale · wave · stock · present

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. scale — size or range
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. scale — in music
  9. stock — goods
  10. spring — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. spring — the season
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. present — a gift
  21. lie — to recline
  22. object — to protest
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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