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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fork — in a road
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. spring — the season
  9. charge — a price
  10. bark — to shout
  11. spring — a coil
  12. charge — in control
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. spring — of water
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rash — a series
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. charge — electricity

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