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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. current — happening now
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. plane — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stock — shares
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. tube — a container
  21. file — a document
  22. tube — the underground
  23. file — a tool
  24. rest — a break

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