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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stock — goods
  3. current — of water
  4. craft — a skill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stock — shares
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. craft — boats
  10. current — electric
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wound — an injury
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. shower — rain
  20. current — happening now
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. march — music

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