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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. file — a document
  6. chip — for betting
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rule — a law
  12. file — a tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. chip — to eat
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rule — government
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bark — to shout
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. temple — a place of worship

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