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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tear · trunk · wave · pitcher · wake · ruler · stock · season

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. season — of the year
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stock — goods
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stock — shares
  22. season — in sport
  23. tear — to rip
  24. trunk — of a car

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