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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · mark · bark · fine · charge · tear · tube · rock

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fine — high quality
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rock — music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. tear — to rip
  16. charge — a price
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mark — a trace
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fine — all right

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