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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. charge — in control
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mate — a partner
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — a price
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. spell — letters
  10. charge — electricity
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mate — a friend
  13. staff — employees
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mate — to breed
  19. spell — magic
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. staff — employees

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