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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. object — to protest
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. present — the time now
  7. bass — the fish
  8. perch — the fish
  9. present — a gift
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. present — there
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. object — an aim
  14. bass — low music
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. object — a thing
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bark — to shout
  22. charge — in control
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. charge — electricity

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