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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mark — a trace
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. root — of a word
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rule — government
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. file — a document
  12. rock — music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rock — a stone
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. deal — to handle
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. root — the cause
  22. rule — a law
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mark — to pay attention

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