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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: stock · rock · trunk · lie · file · ground · current · squash

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ground — a position
  5. current — of water
  6. file — a document
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. rock — music
  14. current — electric
  15. file — a tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. current — happening now
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rock — a stone
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. squash — to crush

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