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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rule — a law
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bank — for money
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bore — to tire
  17. kick — in football
  18. tube — a container
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bore — to drill

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