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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. object — an aim
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. tube — a container
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bark — to shout
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. charge — a price
  9. track — a song
  10. snap — to click
  11. object — to protest
  12. track — a path
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. object — a thing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. tube — the underground
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. charge — in control
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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