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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. land — to come down
  3. rock — music
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rule — government
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. bark — to shout
  13. suit — to fit
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. suit — clothes
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cell — in biology
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rule — a law
  24. trunk — of a car

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