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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rule — government
  4. mate — a partner
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mate — to breed
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — letters
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rule — a law
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spell — magic

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