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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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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: hide · bark · pass · charge · kid · foot · saw · track

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. track — a path
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kid — child
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pass — a permit
  13. charge — electricity
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bark — to shout
  16. track — a song
  17. charge — in control
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. foot — a measure
  23. kid — to tease
  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