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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. tube — the underground
  6. shower — rain
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. file — a document
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. current — happening now
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. file — a tool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. shower — to wash
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bark — to shout
  24. file — a line of people

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