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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. present — there
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rash — a series
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bark — to shout
  10. current — happening now
  11. ball — a great time
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. current — electric
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rash — hasty
  24. safe — out of danger

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