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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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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: perch · cap · file · bark · season · bore · bound · charge

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — in control
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bore — to drill
  9. perch — the fish
  10. file — a tool
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bound — certain
  16. file — a document
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cap — a lid
  23. charge — a price
  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