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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. current — of water
  3. net — after costs
  4. mug — a face
  5. stem — to come from
  6. net — for catching
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. file — a document
  10. mug — a cup
  11. current — electric
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bark — to shout
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mug — to rob
  16. current — happening now
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. file — a tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. net — in sport
  21. file — a line of people
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stem — a stem cell

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