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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. last — to go on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — electric
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. ball — a dance
  8. last — finally
  9. roll — a list
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. current — of water
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chair — a leader
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. current — happening now
  23. roll — a cake
  24. last — final

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