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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. current — electric
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. firm — a company
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bulb — for light

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