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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. charge — in control
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. band — a ring
  13. board — to get on
  14. tear — from crying
  15. band — a music group
  16. tear — from crying
  17. present — there
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bark — to shout
  22. board — a committee
  23. present — a gift
  24. dip — a sauce

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