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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rule — a law
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mug — a face
  10. clip — a video
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chip — to eat
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mug — to rob

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