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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. bark — to shout
  5. suit — in cards
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. row — a line
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rule — government
  11. kid — child
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. perch — the fish
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. suit — to fit
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. kid — to tease
  23. suit — clothes
  24. perch — for a bird

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