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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. firm — decided
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. kick — in football
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rule — a law
  9. firm — a company
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mug — a face
  12. firm — steady
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. snap — to click
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rule — government
  23. bark — to shout
  24. arm — a part of something

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