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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: present · bark · mouse · pass · pop · bound · fall · charge

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. present — a gift
  3. pop — music
  4. fall — the season
  5. charge — in control
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bark — to shout
  8. charge — a price
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pop — soda
  14. pass — a permit
  15. present — the time now
  16. pop — to visit
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. present — there
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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