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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: bound · leaves · mug · bear · last · bark · scale · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Let us try to swim against 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. current — electric
  2. bound — certain
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mug — a face
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. mug — to rob
  10. last — to go on
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mug — a cup
  16. scale — in music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bound — tied together
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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