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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rest — a break
  5. current — happening now
  6. wind — moving air
  7. current — electric
  8. wind — moving air
  9. present — there
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. current — of water
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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