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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rule — government
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rule — a law
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. staff — employees
  20. rest — what's left
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rest — a break

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