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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mate — a friend
  3. club — for golf
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mate — a partner
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. charge — in control
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. club — a group
  18. charge — a price
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mate — to breed
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wake — a trail

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