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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. last — to go on
  4. spell — magic
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. tube — a container
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bark — to shout
  12. current — happening now
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. last — final
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. tube — the underground
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. last — finally

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