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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bark — to shout
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. current — electric
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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