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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cap — a hat
  7. charge — a price
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mine — for digging
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — electricity
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — a tin
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. charge — in control
  24. bore — to drill

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