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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bark — to shout
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — to trim
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. charge — electricity
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — in control
  15. prune — to trim
  16. band — a music group
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. charge — a price
  22. row — a line
  23. band — a ring
  24. prune — the fruit

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