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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: bear · rest · bark · object · clip · rush · cue · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bark — to shout
  9. current — electric
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. current — of water
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — a signal
  18. object — a thing
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bear — the animal
  21. object — to protest
  22. cue — for pool
  23. object — an aim
  24. bark — of a tree

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