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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rule — a law
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rule — government
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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