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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. game — wild animals
  3. current — of water
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. object — an aim
  6. stock — goods
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. game — a match
  9. lean — thin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. object — a thing
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. object — to protest
  17. current — electric
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kick — in football
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. current — happening now
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. game — a kind of play

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