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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. drill — a practice
  3. shower — rain
  4. current — electric
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mark — a grade
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. land — to come down
  9. stock — goods
  10. land — a country
  11. drill — army training
  12. current — of water
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — to wash
  18. land — ground
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — shares
  22. drill — the tool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. current — happening now

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