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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. tear — from crying
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. key — in music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — electricity
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bark — to shout
  17. charge — in control
  18. bulb — for light
  19. charge — a price
  20. key — the most important part
  21. season — of the year
  22. branch — a division
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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