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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. charge — in control
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. track — to keep track
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. season — of the year
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. track — a path
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — in sport
  16. track — a song
  17. bark — to shout
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bore — to drill
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bore — to tire
  23. kick — in football
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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