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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rule — government
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. root — of a word
  9. staff — a stick
  10. root — the cause
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — help
  13. root — of a plant
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cue — a signal
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. coach — a trainer

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