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

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — electric
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — happening now
  11. craft — boats
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. current — of water
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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