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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. current — of water
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bass — low music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bass — the fish
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lean — thin
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bark — to shout
  18. current — happening now
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. foot — a measure
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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