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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rule — government
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wound — an injury
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bark — to shout
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. safe — out of danger
  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