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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mug — to rob
  3. object — to protest
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. tube — the underground
  6. charge — electricity
  7. snap — to click
  8. charge — a price
  9. drill — the tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. drill — army training
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mug — a cup
  16. object — an aim
  17. bark — to shout
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. tube — a container
  21. charge — in control
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mug — a face

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