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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. current — of water
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wake — a trail
  6. chair — a leader
  7. track — to keep track
  8. current — electric
  9. track — a path
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ball — a dance
  13. track — a song
  14. current — happening now
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. chair — a professorship

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