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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 124 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. charge — a price
  5. date — the fruit
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. charge — in control
  19. branch — a division
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bark — of a tree

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