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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pop — soda
  9. snap — to click
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rule — a law
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pop — music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. kid — child

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