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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. spell — letters
  8. pop — soda
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. spell — magic
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pop — to visit
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. chest — a box
  21. pop — music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. leaves — lets stay

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