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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. firm — steady
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. firm — a company
  6. saw — the tool
  7. current — electric
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. current — of water
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. tube — a container
  14. current — happening now
  15. stock — shares
  16. firm — decided
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tube — the underground
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mug — to rob
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stock — goods

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