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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. current — of water
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pound — a weight
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. land — ground
  13. current — happening now
  14. land — to come down
  15. current — electric
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. race — humankind
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. land — a country
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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