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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. content — happy
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. content — the amount
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. current — electric
  16. bark — to shout
  17. current — happening now
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — of water
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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