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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. race — a contest
  5. shower — to wash
  6. charge — electricity
  7. race — humankind
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. dip — to sink
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rule — government
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. charge — in control
  15. rule — a law
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. shower — rain
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bark — to shout
  24. dip — a sauce

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