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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: tear · date · ruler · spell · bulb · bark · fan · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. date — the fruit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. spell — magic
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. current — electric
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spell — letters
  20. tear — to rip
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. current — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tear — from crying

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