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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: last · stock · current · fall · kick · lie · plane · court

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fall — the season
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. stock — shares
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fall — to drop
  16. current — electric
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. current — of water
  20. lie — to recline
  21. kick — in football
  22. last — final
  23. stock — goods
  24. plane — a tool

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