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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: wave · trunk · lean · date · leaves · deal · game · stock

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stock — goods
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lean — thin
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. game — a match
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stock — shares
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. date — the fruit
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. lean — to bend

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