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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. current — of water
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. stand — to bear
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. current — happening now

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