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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. shower — rain
  10. ball — a dance
  11. plane — a tool
  12. charge — a price
  13. can — to be able to
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. can — a tin

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