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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. clip — to cut
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rush — hurry
  5. current — electric
  6. stock — goods
  7. ball — a great time
  8. suit — in cards
  9. clip — a video
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. current — of water
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stock — shares
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. current — happening now
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. ball — a round shape

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