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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · face · band · fork · key · hide · rush · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. face — to confront
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. key — in music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. current — of water
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rush — hurry
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. face — to point toward
  19. current — electric
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bark — to shout

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