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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bark — to shout
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. last — finally
  5. scale — in music
  6. can — a tin
  7. rule — government
  8. band — a music group
  9. face — to point toward
  10. scale — size or range
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. band — a ring
  16. can — a tin
  17. last — final
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. last — to go on
  23. rule — a law
  24. calf — of the leg

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