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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: squash · leaves · hide · bore · rock · wave · stock · season

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rock — music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stock — goods
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stock — shares
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. season — in sport
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. season — of the year
  20. rock — a stone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — the sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rock — to move gently

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