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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. staff — employees
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ground — crushed
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. tube — the underground
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ground — a position
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mate — a friend
  23. tube — a container
  24. dip — to sink

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