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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. last — final
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rule — a law
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rule — government
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — a face
  15. fall — the season
  16. last — to go on
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bark — to shout
  22. deal — to handle
  23. dip — to sink
  24. deal — a big deal

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