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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. object — to protest
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. object — a thing
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bore — to drill
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rule — a law
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. object — an aim
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bore — to tire
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rule — government
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. snap — to click

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