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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · spell · prune · straw · fork · bark · current · charge

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. current — happening now
  3. charge — a price
  4. spell — a short time
  5. charge — in control
  6. spell — letters
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. squash — to crush
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. current — electric
  15. squash — the sport
  16. prune — to trim
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. spell — magic
  21. current — of water
  22. fork — in a road
  23. prune — to trim
  24. straw — a straw man

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