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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: dip · charge · lie · kick · chip · ball · bark · shower

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. shower — rain
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. shower — to wash
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lie — to recline
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. kick — in football
  22. bark — to shout
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ball — a round shape

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