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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.

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: stick · rock · bear · bark · rash · current · face · mouse

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rock — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. current — happening now
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. face — to confront
  20. bear — the animal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bark — to shout

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