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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · pitcher · fine · content · current · rush · kick · bark

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. content — happy
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kick — in football
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. content — the amount
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bark — of a tree

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