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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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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: kick · stock · dip · hide · wave · swing · content · fall

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fall — the season
  7. content — the amount
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fall — to drop
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stock — shares
  22. content — happy
  23. stock — goods
  24. wave — of the sea

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