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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. key — for a lock
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rule — government
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rule — a law
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — in music
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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