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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. scale — size or range
  7. snap — to click
  8. content — the amount
  9. craft — a skill
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rule — government
  14. scale — in music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. craft — boats
  18. staff — employees
  19. content — happy
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rule — a law
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. staff — employees

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