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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cue — a signal
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. face — to confront
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — soda
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. face — to point toward
  21. current — of water
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cue — a hint

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