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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: net · current · swing · vault · date · bore · bark · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. swing — music
  4. current — of water
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bark — to shout
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — a safe
  12. net — after costs
  13. bore — to drill
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. net — for catching
  16. bore — to tire
  17. current — happening now
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. date — the fruit
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. net — in sport
  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