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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. march — music
  3. rash — a series
  4. current — electric
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stock — shares
  8. march — the month
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — hasty
  12. spring — the season
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rock — music
  21. current — happening now
  22. stock — goods
  23. march — the month
  24. current — of water

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