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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
468
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: stock · date · rest · fall · wave · clip · fine · pop

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stock — shares
  3. fine — all right
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pop — soda
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rest — a break
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. clip — a video
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stock — goods
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fall — the season
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pop — music
  24. date — on the calendar

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