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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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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: charge · wave · stock · wake · fine · squash · fall · wind

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fine — all right
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wind — moving air
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. charge — in control
  24. stock — shares

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