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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bark — to shout
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — obliged
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wind — moving air
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. rule — a law
  17. tear — to rip
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rule — government
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tear — from crying
  23. snap — to click
  24. pit — in a race

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