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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. swing — music
  3. rule — government
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rule — a law
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. current — happening now
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mug — a cup
  12. current — of water
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. current — electric
  15. swing — in golf
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cap — of ice
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bark — to shout
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mug — a face
  24. swing — to play on

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