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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bark — to shout
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rule — a law
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mine — for digging
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. snap — to click
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bark — of a tree

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