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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. current — of water
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. row — to paddle
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. club — a group
  9. tube — a container
  10. stock — goods
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. row — a line
  22. sharp — clever
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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