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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. present — there
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — in football
  7. staff — employees
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. staff — a stick
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. present — the time now
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cold — an illness
  16. staff — employees
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. present — a gift
  19. pop — music
  20. cold — not warm
  21. can — a tin
  22. pop — soda
  23. current — happening now
  24. pop — to visit

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