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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lie — to recline
  4. current — of water
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — electric
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. current — happening now
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bear — the animal

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