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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: current · wave · stock · craft · rush · lie · game · chair

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. current — happening now
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. current — electric
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. game — a match
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. craft — boats
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stock — shares
  13. chair — a leader
  14. current — of water
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — of the sea

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