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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. charge — electricity
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bark — to shout
  8. saw — the tool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. face — to confront
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. charge — a price
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. charge — in control

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