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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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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. current — electric
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stock — shares
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. current — happening now
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. current — of water
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bat — the animal

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