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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. current — happening now
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. can — a tin
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bark — to shout
  11. current — electric
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. current — of water
  16. chip — for betting
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rash — a series
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — an injury

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