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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ground — a position
  3. fall — the season
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. current — happening now
  7. stock — goods
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stock — shares
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. current — of water
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — electric

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