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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: wake · stick · current · bore · ground · bark · file · lash

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. current — of water
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. file — a document
  10. ground — a position
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wake — a trail
  18. ground — crushed
  19. file — a tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ground — the earth
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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