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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rule — government
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. degree — temperature
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rule — a law
  20. bound — certain
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bound — obliged

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