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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. charge — a price
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rock — music
  7. bound — tied together
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bound — certain
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. charge — electricity
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. charge — in control
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bark — of a tree

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