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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. staff — employees
  2. current — happening now
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. root — the cause
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. saw — the tool
  14. current — of water
  15. root — of a word
  16. saw — the tool
  17. current — electric
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. bore — to drill
  22. swing — to play on
  23. root — of a plant
  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