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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. lean — thin
  6. charge — a price
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. charge — in control
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. charge — electricity

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