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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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 — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rock — music
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. object — an aim
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rule — government
  19. object — a thing
  20. face — to confront
  21. object — to protest
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. chair — a professorship

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