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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. plane — a tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. last — finally
  9. current — happening now
  10. bark — to shout
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. last — final
  13. current — of water
  14. last — to go on
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. prune — to trim
  24. foot — the bottom

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