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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: straw · bark · fan · season · current · stand · object · temple

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — happening now
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. object — an aim
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. object — to protest
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. current — electric
  15. season — of the year
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. object — a thing
  18. stand — to bear
  19. season — in sport
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. current — of water
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. season — to add flavour

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