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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · chair · bulb · wave · staff · rash · wind · saw

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stock — shares
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — goods
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wind — moving air
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. chair — a professorship

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