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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. track — a song
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. current — electric
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. board — to get on
  12. bark — to shout
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. track — to keep track
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. board — a committee
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. track — a path

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