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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — in control
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wound — an injury
  17. face — to confront
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tear — to rip
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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