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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. current — of water
  5. snap — to click
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. shower — rain
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. current — happening now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stock — goods
  18. current — electric
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stock — shares

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