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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 116 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. shower — rain
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. suit — in cards
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — a price
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bark — to shout
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. suit — to fit
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. charge — in control
  21. shower — to wash
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. patient — a sick person

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