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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. current — electric
  4. stock — goods
  5. firm — a company
  6. board — to get on
  7. face — to confront
  8. bank — for money
  9. current — of water
  10. firm — steady
  11. board — a committee
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stock — shares
  18. bank — of a river
  19. firm — decided
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. current — happening now
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — to point toward

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