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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bank — for money
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — happening now
  9. squash — the sport
  10. object — to protest
  11. squash — to crush
  12. object — an aim
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rock — music
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bank — of a river

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