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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. shower — rain
  4. current — happening now
  5. swing — music
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bark — to shout
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. scale — in music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. current — electric
  24. swing — to play on

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