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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fine — all right
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rule — government
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rule — a law
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bark — to shout
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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