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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. charge — in control
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mate — a friend
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. charge — a price
  12. roll — a list
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mark — a grade
  16. roll — a cake
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mate — to breed
  20. charge — electricity
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bark — to shout
  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