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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. spell — magic
  6. bear — the animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. current — electric
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. current — happening now
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. current — of water
  16. face — to confront
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mark — a trace
  19. spell — letters
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spell — a short time

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