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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rash — hasty
  7. current — of water
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. current — happening now
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rock — music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fall — the season
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wave — with your hand

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