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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rule — government
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bark — to shout
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. perch — the fish
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — to eat
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ball — a great time
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rule — a law
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. sharp — clever

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