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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: net · last · shower · bore · wave · cap · stock · snap

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. last — finally
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. shower — rain
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. shower — to wash
  12. snap — to click
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stock — shares
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bore — to tire
  17. net — for catching
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. net — in sport
  20. last — to go on
  21. stock — goods
  22. last — final
  23. net — after costs
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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