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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. current — happening now
  3. face — to confront
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. band — a music group
  9. current — of water
  10. charge — in control
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bark — to shout
  15. band — a ring
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. last — to go on
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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