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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.

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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 · trunk · dip · cold · drill · lie · charge · stock

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. charge — in control
  3. stock — goods
  4. charge — a price
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. drill — army training
  8. bark — to shout
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cold — an illness
  13. stock — shares
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lie — to recline
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cold — not warm
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. drill — the tool
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. charge — electricity

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