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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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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: net · kick · wave · suit · can · stock · fall · squash

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. can — to be able to
  6. net — after costs
  7. fall — to drop
  8. net — in sport
  9. stock — goods
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. suit — in cards
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. squash — the sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. suit — clothes
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — the season
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stock — shares
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. net — for catching

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