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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bark — to shout
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rule — government
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. saw — the tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. charge — in control
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rule — a law
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. drill — army training
  24. charge — a price

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