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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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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: bear · bark · deal · stick · plane · cap · rest · charge

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. charge — in control
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bark — to shout
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rest — a break
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a hat
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. charge — a price
  24. rest — what's left

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