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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. squash — to crush
  3. file — a line of people
  4. staff — employees
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. current — electric
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. face — part of the head
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. squash — the sport
  16. staff — a stick
  17. face — to confront
  18. current — happening now
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — goods
  21. current — of water
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stock — shares

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