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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. current — electric
  4. ground — crushed
  5. current — happening now
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. current — of water
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. ground — the earth
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — in music
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ground — a position
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. saw — the tool

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