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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. current — happening now
  4. staff — a stick
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cue — a hint
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. clip — for paper
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. staff — employees
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. deal — to handle
  24. current — electric

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