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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. roll — a list
  8. charge — a price
  9. drill — the tool
  10. shower — rain
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — in control
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. drill — army training
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. perch — the fish
  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