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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. current — happening now
  4. bank — of a river
  5. sharp — clever
  6. foot — a measure
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. stock — shares
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bank — for money
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bank — for money
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stock — goods
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. current — of water
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. clip — for paper

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