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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rule — a law
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. kick — in football
  6. present — there
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lean — thin
  9. present — the time now
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rule — government
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. can — a tin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. can — a tin
  24. lean — to bend

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