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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. game — a match
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bark — to shout
  24. trunk — of a car

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