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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lie — to recline
  3. current — electric
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. current — of water
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. clip — a video
  17. current — happening now
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cap — of ice
  22. clip — for paper
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. clip — to cut

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