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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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Word bank
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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: current · bay · shower · saw · rest · stock · craft · hand

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. hand — help
  3. stock — goods
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rest — a break
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hand — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stock — shares
  19. shower — rain
  20. craft — boats
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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