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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. net — in sport
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. toast — bread
  5. rush — hurry
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. clip — a video
  12. key — in music
  13. rule — a law
  14. wound — an injury
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. clip — for paper
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rule — government
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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