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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rest — a break
  7. root — the cause
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rash — a series
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rash — hasty
  19. root — of a word
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. key — in music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bark — to shout

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