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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. spell — magic
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rest — a break
  10. rule — a law
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rule — government
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. spell — letters
  18. club — for golf
  19. spell — a short time
  20. club — for dancing
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. club — a group
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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