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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. race — humankind
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. charge — electricity
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. board — a committee
  8. charge — in control
  9. board — to get on
  10. dip — to sink
  11. race — a contest
  12. wind — moving air
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. charge — a price
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wind — moving air
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bark — to shout
  23. track — a song
  24. race — the arms race

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