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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: wound · land · current · bark · pit · firm · rush · lie

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. firm — steady
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. firm — decided
  4. current — electric
  5. land — a country
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. land — ground
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pit — in a race
  11. land — to come down
  12. wound — an injury
  13. firm — a company
  14. rush — hurry
  15. current — of water
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. current — happening now

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