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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. swing — music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. saw — the tool
  6. current — of water
  7. deal — to handle
  8. shower — rain
  9. face — part of the head
  10. saw — the tool
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. shower — to wash
  15. swing — in golf
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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