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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bark — to shout
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rule — a law
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mate — to breed
  19. kick — in football
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. roll — a list
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — a partner
  24. roll — a cake

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