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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — a grade
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. charge — electricity
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. charge — a price
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. season — in sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tear — from crying
  20. craft — boats
  21. tear — to rip
  22. perch — the fish
  23. charge — in control
  24. rest — what's left

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