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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. content — happy
  4. charge — a price
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. charge — in control
  12. key — for a lock
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. shower — rain
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. club — a group
  19. key — the most important part
  20. club — for golf
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. key — in music
  23. content — the amount
  24. shower — to wash

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