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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. tear — from crying
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chip — for betting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. branch — a division
  10. spring — of water
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chip — to eat
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. spring — the season
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. spring — a coil
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — electricity
  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