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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spell — magic
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — letters
  12. rule — a law
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bark — to shout
  15. spell — a short time
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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