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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bark — to shout
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. charge — in control
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. land — to come down
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. charge — a price
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. branch — a division
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. root — of a word
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — a series

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