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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. roll — a list
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. current — electric
  13. stock — goods
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bark — to shout

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