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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · stock · hide · toast · current · pound · shower · craft

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stock — shares
  3. toast — bread
  4. current — of water
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stock — goods
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. craft — a skill
  10. current — happening now
  11. wound — an injury
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wound — an injury
  14. current — electric
  15. pound — a weight
  16. craft — boats
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. shower — rain

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