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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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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bark — to shout
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mine — for digging
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  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