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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bound — tied together
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. prune — to trim
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bound — obliged
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bound — certain
  10. charge — a price
  11. chest — of your body
  12. prune — to trim
  13. season — in sport
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bark — to shout
  18. season — of the year
  19. charge — in control
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chest — of your body
  24. kid — child

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