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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rash — a series
  12. current — happening now
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fork — in a road
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. snap — to click
  24. bark — to shout

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