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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. current — of water
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. file — a tool
  9. current — electric
  10. suit — in cards
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. deal — to handle
  14. suit — clothes
  15. file — a line of people
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. current — happening now
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. file — a document
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. plane — in geometry

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