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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bark — to shout
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fine — high quality
  8. tube — a container
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rule — a law
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. face — to confront
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. tube — the underground
  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