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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. toast — bread
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. board — to get on
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. current — of water
  10. stock — goods
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — to recline
  16. board — a committee
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. current — electric
  21. cold — not warm
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mouse — the animal

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