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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. snap — to click
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rush — hurry
  14. current — happening now
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stock — shares
  17. current — of water
  18. can — a tin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — a tin
  21. fine — all right
  22. current — electric
  23. stock — goods
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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