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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · stand · wind · arm · current · kick · shower · content

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. current — of water
  3. stand — to bear
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. shower — rain
  7. wind — moving air
  8. current — electric
  9. content — the amount
  10. stock — shares
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wind — moving air
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kick — in football
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. current — happening now
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. shower — to wash
  24. content — happy

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