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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bark — to shout
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. present — a gift
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. club — for golf
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. current — of water
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. season — in sport
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. season — of the year
  24. club — a group

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