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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. ball — a dance
  7. shower — to wash
  8. charge — a price
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. deal — to handle
  21. shower — rain
  22. charge — in control
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — an agreement

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