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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. swing — to play on
  7. can — a tin
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stock — shares
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pit — a hole
  12. can — to be able to
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — happening now
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — electric
  19. swing — music
  20. current — of water
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stock — goods
  24. can — a tin

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