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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. current — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rock — music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. spring — of water
  13. rock — a stone
  14. current — happening now
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. current — electric
  18. spring — a coil
  19. can — a tin
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bark — to shout
  22. suit — in cards
  23. can — a tin
  24. suit — to fit

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