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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ground — the earth
  4. current — of water
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bark — to shout
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ground — a position
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. current — happening now
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — crushed
  22. current — electric
  23. charge — a price
  24. bowl — to roll

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