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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: tear · leaves · charge · rash · race · bear · capital · bark

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rash — hasty
  5. race — the arms race
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. race — a contest
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. capital — money
  14. charge — in control
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. tear — from crying
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rash — a series
  21. charge — a price
  22. race — humankind
  23. tear — to rip
  24. capital — a city

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