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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rule — government
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. saw — the tool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wave — with your hand

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