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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fork — in a road
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rule — a law
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rule — government
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. press — newspapers
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bore — to drill
  14. press — to push
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bore — to tire
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fine — all right
  24. press — a publisher

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