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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. current — of water
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. face — to confront
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. current — happening now
  15. band — a music group
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. band — a ring
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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