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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. firm — steady
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mate — a friend
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. current — of water
  10. land — ground
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. land — to come down
  14. current — happening now
  15. firm — decided
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. firm — a company
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — a country
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bark — to shout
  23. current — electric
  24. bay — a horse colour

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