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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. spell — letters
  3. lean — thin
  4. current — happening now
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stock — shares
  7. current — electric
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. spell — magic
  11. mug — to rob
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stock — goods
  14. lean — to bend
  15. current — of water
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mug — a face

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