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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. charge — electricity
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. charge — a price
  10. row — a line
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. charge — in control
  16. rock — a stone
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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