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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · kick · bark · key · current · kid · bear · bay

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. kid — to tease
  3. key — for a lock
  4. kid — child
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — of water
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kick — in football
  16. bear — the animal
  17. key — in music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — electric
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bark — to shout
  23. current — happening now
  24. kick — with a leg

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