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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. current — electric
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rest — a break
  10. bark — to shout
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. current — happening now
  17. tube — a container
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bulb — for light

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