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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stock — shares
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. current — electric
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. current — happening now
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. bear — the animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. current — of water
  20. mug — to rob
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. game — a match
  23. drill — army training
  24. mug — a face

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