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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. can — a tin
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rule — government
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kick — in football
  17. drill — a practice
  18. season — in sport
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. can — a tin
  22. season — of the year
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rule — a law

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