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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bore — to tire
  3. press — to push
  4. hand — help
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stand — to bear
  7. press — a publisher
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stock — shares
  11. current — happening now
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — electric
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. press — newspapers
  19. firm — a company
  20. stock — goods
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bore — to drill
  23. current — of water
  24. firm — steady

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