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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. current — happening now
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lean — to bend
  8. current — of water
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lean — thin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pitch — completely
  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