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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. current — of water
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bark — to shout
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lean — thin
  22. current — happening now
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. current — electric

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