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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. current — electric
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. current — of water
  7. file — a document
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — shares
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. net — for catching
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. net — in sport
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. current — happening now
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stock — goods
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. net — after costs

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