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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
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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: arm · rock · key · bulb · wake · march · charge · bark

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bark — to shout
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. march — the month
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. march — music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rock — a stone
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. wake — a trail
  13. key — in music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. march — the month
  16. rock — music
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bulb — for light
  22. charge — electricity
  23. key — for a lock
  24. arm — part of the body

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