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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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Word bank
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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: bark · staff · row · snap · lie · kick · current · dip

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. kick — in football
  4. row — a line
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. staff — employees
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. dip — to sink
  19. current — of water
  20. row — to paddle
  21. staff — a stick
  22. snap — to click
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. staff — employees

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