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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 116 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: staff · track · current · face · sharp · wave · chair · bark

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. track — a path
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. current — of water
  11. staff — a stick
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. track — to keep track
  14. face — to point toward
  15. sharp — clever
  16. current — electric
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. staff — employees
  21. chair — a leader
  22. face — to confront
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. current — happening now

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