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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. drill — the tool
  4. current — happening now
  5. face — to point toward
  6. current — of water
  7. drill — a practice
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. file — a document
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stock — shares
  13. drill — army training
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. spring — a coil
  19. current — electric
  20. spring — of water
  21. stock — goods
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. nail — for a hammer

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