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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. chip — for betting
  5. hand — in cards
  6. charge — in control
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. face — to confront
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bank — for money
  12. chip — to eat
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. face — part of the head
  16. hand — help
  17. file — a document
  18. charge — a price
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bark — to shout
  22. file — a tool
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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