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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. current — happening now
  3. charge — electricity
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. bark — to shout
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. chair — a leader
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. dip — to sink
  16. charge — in control
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. charge — a price
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. jam — a tight spot

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