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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rule — government
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lean — thin
  8. scale — in music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lean — to bend
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rule — a law
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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