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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. tube — a container
  8. bound — certain
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. current — electric
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bark — to shout
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. current — of water

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