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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. firm — decided
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — shares
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. firm — steady
  20. saw — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. current — electric

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