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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. charge — in control
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bark — to shout
  14. charge — a price
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spring — the season
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spring — of water
  24. charge — electricity

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