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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. current — of water
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wound — an injury
  7. current — happening now
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lean — thin
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lean — to bend
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. band — a ring
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. band — a music group

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