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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rule — a law
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rule — government
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lean — thin
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. tube — a container
  24. bowl — a dish

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