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

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pop — music
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rule — a law
  16. pop — soda
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rule — government

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