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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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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: track · wound · tear · stock · hand · wave · pop · key

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. key — in music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stock — goods
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. tear — from crying
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stock — shares
  13. track — a path
  14. tear — to rip
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pop — soda
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hand — help
  20. track — a song
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. hand — part of the body

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