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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fall — to drop
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. current — happening now
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. current — electric
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — a publisher
  18. current — of water
  19. stock — shares
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. press — to push
  24. bulb — for light

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