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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. current — electric
  3. stock — goods
  4. can — a tin
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lean — thin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — of water
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. can — a tin
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. current — happening now
  21. stock — shares
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. can — to be able to

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