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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — in control
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. object — a thing
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kick — in football
  14. mark — a trace
  15. swing — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. object — to protest
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a grade

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