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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: field · stock · spell · fall · last · wake · wave · toast

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fall — the season
  4. last — finally
  5. field — a subject
  6. spell — a short time
  7. last — final
  8. spell — letters
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. field — for sport
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. last — to go on
  14. toast — bread
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. field — farmland
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — magic
  21. stock — shares
  22. wake — a trail
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wave — of the sea

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