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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 116 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
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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: fan · mine · stock · rush · coach · craft · cell · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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 biology
  3. stock — shares
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. craft — boats
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stock — goods
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fan — to cool the air

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