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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: mouse · face · rest · current · bay · stock · kid · shower

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stock — shares
  5. current — happening now
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — of water
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rest — a break
  11. kid — to tease
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. shower — rain
  18. face — to confront
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. kid — child
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rest — what's left
  24. current — electric

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