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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: ground · stock · fall · tear · deal · shower · bowl · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. shower — rain
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ground — the earth
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fall — the season
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ground — a position
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stock — shares
  18. tear — from crying
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fall — to drop

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