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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.

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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: spring · wave · stock · saw · spell · toast · pitcher · pass

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. toast — bread
  11. spell — letters
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. spring — of water
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spell — magic
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stock — goods
  24. pass — a permit

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