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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: ground · rush · branch · wave · stick · stock · lie · swing

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stock — shares
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. swing — music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ground — a position
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. branch — a division
  21. stock — goods
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — an untruth

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