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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. current — electric
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fall — to drop
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. current — of water
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — the animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — the season
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. current — happening now
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bark — to shout

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