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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rest — what's left
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bore — to tire
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bore — to drill
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lean — thin
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. scale — size or range
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. scale — in music
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. branch — a division

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