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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. current — happening now
  3. mine — for digging
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — magic
  11. rest — a break
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. spell — letters
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. current — electric
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. current — of water

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