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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. suit — in cards
  3. spell — magic
  4. rule — a law
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. ground — a position
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rash — a series
  14. suit — to fit
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. spell — letters
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. face — part of the head
  21. ground — crushed
  22. face — to confront
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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