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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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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: wake · object · stock · leaves · hide · season · craft · current

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. object — to protest
  3. season — of the year
  4. craft — boats
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. object — an aim
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stock — shares
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wake — a trail
  22. season — in sport
  23. current — electric
  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