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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. file — a tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. deal — to handle
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chip — for betting
  13. face — to confront
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. face — part of the head
  22. chip — to eat
  23. file — a document
  24. deal — an agreement

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