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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. kid — to tease
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rule — government
  7. row — a line
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pit — in a race
  11. staff — employees
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bark — to shout
  15. staff — employees
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. kid — child
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rule — a law
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. staff — a stick

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