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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. cap — of ice
  11. chest — a box
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — happening now
  15. cap — a lid
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cap — a hat
  24. current — of water

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