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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.

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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ball — a great time
  9. object — a thing
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. charge — a price
  21. ball — a dance
  22. spell — letters
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stand — to bear

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