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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: lean · mark · current · bark · racket · chest · saw · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chest — a box
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — thin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — government
  15. current — happening now
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bark — to shout
  24. racket — for tennis

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