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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. face — to point toward
  5. capital — a city
  6. face — to confront
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rule — a law
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bound — certain
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. capital — money
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rush — hurry

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