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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mate — a friend
  9. swing — to play on
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. craft — boats
  20. mate — a partner
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. current — of water
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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