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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. object — an aim
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. branch — a division
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. charge — in control
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. object — to protest
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bark — to shout
  18. roll — a list
  19. object — a thing
  20. bulb — for light
  21. charge — a price
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bulb — for light

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