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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: lean · spell · arm · wave · stock · hide · wake · fall

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. spell — magic
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — goods
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fall — the season
  12. lean — thin
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — shares
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lean — to bend
  21. spell — letters
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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