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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bark — to shout
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. current — of water
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. current — happening now
  8. content — happy
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fine — all right
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. content — the amount
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. fine — high quality
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. field — farmland
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — moving air

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