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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. current — happening now
  6. band — a music group
  7. stock — goods
  8. current — electric
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stock — shares
  14. staff — a stick
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rush — hurry
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. band — a ring
  22. current — of water
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fan — to cool the air

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