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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. firm — a company
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. charge — in control
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. snap — to click
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bark — to shout
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. firm — decided

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