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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.

Make a worksheet

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: march · content · cabinet · rule · bark · hide · swing · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. march — the month
  3. content — the amount
  4. rule — a law
  5. swing — music
  6. current — electric
  7. swing — in golf
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — happening now
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. march — the month
  23. bark — to shout
  24. march — music

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