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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: jam · safe · bark · fall · charge · row · rock · cold

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. charge — in control
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. row — a line
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cold — an illness
  13. charge — a price
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fall — the season
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bark — to shout
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rock — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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