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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.

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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 · branch · stock · spell · season · file · rush · fine

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fine — all right
  4. file — a document
  5. stock — goods
  6. file — a line of people
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. season — of the year
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. spell — letters
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fine — high quality
  18. spell — magic
  19. branch — a division
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. season — in sport
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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