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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 116 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spring — the season
  3. current — electric
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. current — of water
  6. rule — a law
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spring — of water
  14. rule — government
  15. current — happening now
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spring — a coil
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pitcher — a jug

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