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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. charge — in control
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. charge — a price
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rash — a series
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mate — to breed
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — a country
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mark — a grade

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