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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. kick — in football
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. current — of water
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. current — electric
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. current — happening now

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