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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: arm · dip · wound · court · charge · suit · bark · hand

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bark — to shout
  9. hand — help
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wound — an injury
  13. court — for sport
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. court — of a king
  19. charge — a price
  20. court — of law
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. suit — to fit
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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