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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. capital — a city
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bound — tied together
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stock — shares
  11. capital — money
  12. stock — goods
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. current — electric
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. saw — the tool

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