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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lean — thin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. board — a committee
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. charge — in control
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. board — to get on
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. charge — a price
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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