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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. kick — in football
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rash — hasty
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. rule — a law
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. roll — a list
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. tube — a container
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rule — government

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