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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: kick · fine · bark · key · current · firm · mate · tear

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. key — the most important part
  3. tear — from crying
  4. firm — decided
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bark — to shout
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fine — high quality
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. key — in music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. kick — in football
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. current — of water
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mate — to breed
  19. current — happening now
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. fine — all right
  24. firm — a company

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