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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 116 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. field — a subject
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fall — the season
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. field — for sport
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. field — farmland
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bark — to shout
  24. current — electric

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