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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wake — a trail
  3. current — happening now
  4. rule — government
  5. current — electric
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rest — what's left
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rest — a break
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rule — a law
  22. rest — what's left
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stock — shares

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