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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. court — for sport
  4. bark — to shout
  5. spring — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spring — the season
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rule — a law
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lean — thin
  15. court — of law
  16. current — of water
  17. fine — all right
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. court — of a king
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. current — electric

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