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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — a series
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stock — shares
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. current — electric
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wax — to grow
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stock — goods
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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