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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bark — to shout
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rush — hurry
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. current — happening now
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. hide — to keep secret

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