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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. current — of water
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wake — a trail
  17. current — electric
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. current — happening now
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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