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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rule — government
  3. spell — letters
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stem — to come from
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spell — magic
  16. rush — hurry
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rule — a law

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