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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rule — a law
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. swing — in golf
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cap — a hat
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cap — a lid
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. swing — music
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cap — of ice
  23. swing — to play on
  24. deal — a big deal

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