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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. wound — an injury
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. firm — a company
  6. pop — soda
  7. snap — to click
  8. rule — a law
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. firm — steady
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. firm — decided
  18. pop — music
  19. fine — all right
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pop — to visit
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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