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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. staff — a stick
  3. suit — in cards
  4. staff — employees
  5. fall — to drop
  6. current — happening now
  7. land — ground
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. suit — to fit
  10. row — to paddle
  11. current — of water
  12. suit — clothes
  13. land — a country
  14. stock — goods
  15. row — a line
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. staff — employees
  19. land — to come down
  20. current — electric
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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