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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stock — goods
  3. file — a document
  4. clip — to cut
  5. stock — shares
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. craft — boats
  10. suit — in cards
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. current — electric
  13. suit — to fit
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. craft — a skill
  17. season — of the year
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. file — a tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. current — happening now
  24. suit — clothes

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