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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. current — electric
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. face — to confront
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bark — to shout
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — help
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. toast — bread
  21. face — to point toward
  22. foot — a measure
  23. face — part of the head
  24. foot — the bottom

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