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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 turn the ________________ on?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stock — goods
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — of water
  5. kick — in football
  6. cell — in biology
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rock — a stone
  10. current — electric
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rock — music
  20. current — happening now
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. band — a ring
  24. stock — shares

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