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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bark — to shout
  3. prune — to trim
  4. staff — employees
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. game — wild animals
  9. charge — a price
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mark — a trace
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. prune — to trim
  15. squash — the sport
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. squash — to crush
  18. charge — in control
  19. staff — a stick
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. game — a match
  22. staff — employees
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mark — to pay attention

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