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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. present — there
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. object — a thing
  11. rule — government
  12. object — an aim
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lean — thin
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bank — for money
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bank — for money
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rule — a law
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mine — an explosive

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