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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — child
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fork — in a road
  6. craft — boats
  7. rule — government
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rule — a law
  10. bark — to shout
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — a division
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. sharp — clever
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. craft — a skill
  21. kid — to tease
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bark — of a tree

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