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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cell — a phone
  5. suit — clothes
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. suit — in cards
  16. staff — employees
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. current — happening now
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pit — a hole

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