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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — the time now
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rule — government
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bark — to shout
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bore — to tire
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rule — a law
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. face — part of the head
  22. present — there
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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