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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: bark · charge · snap · object · calf · rash · ground · cell

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. ground — a position
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. charge — electricity
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. object — an aim
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rash — a series
  12. object — a thing
  13. rash — hasty
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. charge — in control
  17. ground — the earth
  18. object — to protest
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cell — in a prison
  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