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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
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: stock · cap · fine · wake · straw · key · charge · wave

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stock — shares
  3. key — in music
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cap — a hat
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stock — goods
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fine — all right
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. charge — a price
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. charge — in control
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. charge — electricity

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