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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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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: race · saw · charge · bark · cap · firm · mark · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. race — a contest
  4. chest — of your body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chest — a box
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cap — of ice
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. firm — steady
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. charge — electricity
  19. firm — decided
  20. cap — a hat
  21. race — the arms race
  22. firm — a company
  23. race — humankind
  24. saw — the tool

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