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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. current — electric
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. last — final
  9. current — of water
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. last — to go on
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — finally
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. current — happening now
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. temple — a place of worship

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