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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. current — electric
  3. board — a committee
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. board — to get on
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. pass — a permit

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