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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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. net — for catching
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rule — government
  14. net — in sport
  15. file — a document
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — after costs
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rule — a law
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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