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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 124 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — an aim
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. object — to protest
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bark — to shout
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lie — to recline
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cold — an illness
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. sharp — clever
  21. chip — to eat
  22. current — happening now
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. object — a thing

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