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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lean — thin
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. current — electric
  9. fine — high quality
  10. current — happening now
  11. net — for catching
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. current — of water
  14. rock — music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fine — all right
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. net — in sport
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. net — after costs
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lean — to bend

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