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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
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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: toast · charge · fork · drill · track · bark · shower · lie

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. drill — a practice
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. charge — electricity
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. track — to keep track
  10. toast — bread
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. shower — to wash
  15. charge — a price
  16. track — a song
  17. bark — to shout
  18. drill — army training
  19. track — a path
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. charge — in control
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fork — in a road
  24. drill — the tool

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