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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — in music
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. drill — a practice
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. drill — army training
  21. current — electric
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. current — happening now
  24. scale — size or range

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