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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rule — government
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. craft — boats
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. track — a path
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rest — a break
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bark — to shout
  18. track — a song
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rule — a law
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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