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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 124 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. shower — rain
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. current — happening now
  5. press — a publisher
  6. plane — a tool
  7. press — to push
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. shower — to wash
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. press — newspapers
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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