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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mug — to rob
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rule — government
  6. mug — a face
  7. current — of water
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hand — help
  16. current — happening now
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. current — electric
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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