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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — happening now
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. staff — employees
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. current — electric
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. staff — a stick

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