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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — of water
  11. tube — the underground
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. current — electric
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. tube — a container
  24. tear — to rip

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