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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rush · hide · mug · cell · last · fork · stock

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. last — to go on
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stock — shares
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. last — final
  13. mug — a face
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cell — a phone
  18. stock — goods
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. last — finally
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wave — of the sea

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