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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.

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: pitcher · charge · rash · staff · temple · bark · press · row

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. row — a line
  3. staff — employees
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bark — to shout
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. charge — in control
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. staff — a stick
  18. press — newspapers
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. charge — electricity
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. charge — a price

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