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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. rest — a break
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — happening now
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. content — the amount
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. content — happy
  17. fork — in a road
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. can — to be able to
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — clever

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