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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cell — in biology
  6. current — of water
  7. cap — a hat
  8. current — electric
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rash — a series
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fine — all right
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. current — happening now
  24. fan — a supporter

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