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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — in control
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bark — to shout
  15. charge — a price
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitcher — a jug

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