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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. bark — to shout
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. charge — electricity
  14. hand — in cards
  15. object — an aim
  16. spring — of water
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. object — a thing
  19. hand — help
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. object — to protest
  24. temple — side of the head

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