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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stock — shares
  7. wind — moving air
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. club — for golf
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. club — for dancing
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stock — goods
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rush — hurry
  20. suit — to fit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. current — of water
  23. club — a group
  24. suit — in cards

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