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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. bank — of a river
  4. charge — a price
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bank — for money
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. kick — in football
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. charge — electricity
  15. clip — a video
  16. present — a gift
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bank — for money
  19. snap — to click
  20. clip — for paper
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bark — to shout
  24. charge — in control

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