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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. file — a line of people
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. file — a tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pass — a permit
  8. current — of water
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stock — shares
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. current — happening now
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. current — electric
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. file — a document
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stock — a soup base

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