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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. current — of water
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stem — of a plant
  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