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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. march — music
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mark — a grade
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — to shout
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — government
  16. march — the month
  17. rule — a law
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. march — the month
  20. board — a committee
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kick — in football

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