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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. file — a line of people
  6. last — finally
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. firm — steady
  9. last — to go on
  10. lean — thin
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lean — to bend
  13. file — a document
  14. rule — a law
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. file — a tool
  19. last — final
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. firm — a company
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mark — a trace

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