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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bark — to shout
  8. current — electric
  9. clip — a video
  10. season — of the year
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. clip — to cut
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fall — to drop
  18. season — in sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. current — happening now
  24. dip — to sink

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