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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. season — in sport
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. date — the fruit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. march — music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wax — to grow
  15. march — the month
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rule — a law
  18. bark — to shout
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. march — the month
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. season — of the year

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