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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stock — shares
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bark — to shout
  7. hand — help
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cap — of ice
  10. current — happening now
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cap — a hat
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. root — the cause
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stock — goods
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. root — of a word
  23. current — electric
  24. temple — side of the head

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