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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.

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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: fan · content · rock · spell · tear · wake · current · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rock — a stone
  5. current — happening now
  6. spell — magic
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rock — music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. spell — a short time
  11. current — of water
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — electric
  17. spell — letters
  18. content — the amount
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. content — happy
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. tear — to rip

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