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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 124 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lean — to bend
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. current — electric
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. charge — in control
  12. lean — thin
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stock — shares
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stock — goods
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. roll — a list
  24. file — a document

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