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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chest — a box
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rule — government
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spell — magic
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rule — a law
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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