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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. file — a tool
  10. rule — a law
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. file — a document
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. snap — to click
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rule — government

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