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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
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: tear · mine · charge · hand · track · bark · arm · craft

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. tear — from crying
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. craft — a skill
  6. track — a path
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bark — to shout
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. tear — from crying
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. track — a song
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. charge — electricity
  21. track — to keep track
  22. hand — help
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. craft — boats

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