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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. current — of water
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. current — electric
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. current — happening now
  11. file — a tool
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bark — to shout
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. last — finally
  18. press — a publisher
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. last — final
  23. press — to push
  24. last — to go on

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