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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. current — happening now
  3. stock — goods
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spring — the season
  7. current — electric
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. can — a tin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spring — of water
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stock — shares
  17. can — to be able to
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — of water

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