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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. rule — government
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pop — music
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cue — a signal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chest — a box
  19. mug — a face
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cue — for pool
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rule — a law

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