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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 116 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bore — to drill
  4. current — happening now
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bark — to shout
  7. current — of water
  8. last — final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. stand — to bear
  12. last — to go on
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. last — finally
  20. root — of a word
  21. bore — to tire
  22. root — of a plant
  23. snap — to click
  24. current — electric

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