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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 124 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. key — the most important part
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. tube — a container
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rule — a law
  19. key — in music
  20. fall — the season
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rule — government
  24. bark — of a tree

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