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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rest — a break
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rest — what's left
  7. object — a thing
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bark — to shout
  11. object — to protest
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. current — electric
  14. roll — a list
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tear — from crying
  18. current — happening now
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tear — to rip
  21. current — of water
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. roll — on a roll

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