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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. current — happening now
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hand — help
  7. land — ground
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bore — to tire
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. current — electric
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. suit — in cards
  18. current — of water
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. land — a country
  24. hand — in cards

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