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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. current — electric
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bark — to shout
  13. field — farmland
  14. current — of water
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. field — for sport
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. field — a subject
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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