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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 120 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: stock · lean · fan · fall · wave · trunk · mug · patient

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mug — a face
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fall — the season
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mug — to rob
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — shares
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stock — goods

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