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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. current — electric
  9. stock — shares
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. dip — to sink
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. plane — a tool
  18. current — of water
  19. stock — goods
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pass — a permit

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