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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rule — government
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — a match
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cap — a lid
  8. tear — from crying
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. game — wild animals
  11. staff — employees
  12. bark — to shout
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rule — a law
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cap — of ice
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rush — hurry
  24. game — a kind of play

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