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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bark — to shout
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. face — to confront
  12. sharp — clever
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lean — thin
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lean — to bend
  22. staff — employees
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. chair — a professorship

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