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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 116 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: staff · court · wave · cap · charge · tear · bark · nail

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cap — a hat
  8. court — of law
  9. staff — employees
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. staff — employees
  15. tear — from crying
  16. court — of a king
  17. cap — of ice
  18. charge — in control
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. staff — a stick
  21. court — for sport
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. nail — for a hammer

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