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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · hide · charge · jam · shower · club · snap · bark

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. charge — electricity
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. charge — a price
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bark — to shout
  13. club — for dancing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. club — a group
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. charge — in control
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. club — for golf

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