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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: wave · bore · stock · current · rush · bark · saw · object

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stock — shares
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. object — to protest
  13. current — electric
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. object — an aim
  20. bore — to drill
  21. object — a thing
  22. current — of water
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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