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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. current — of water
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. suit — in cards
  7. face — part of the head
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hand — in cards
  10. current — happening now
  11. mate — a partner
  12. face — to point toward
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bark — to shout
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hand — help
  17. mate — to breed
  18. suit — to fit
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. current — electric
  22. mate — a friend
  23. face — to confront
  24. drill — army training

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