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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. swing — to play on
  6. object — an aim
  7. track — a song
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. object — a thing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — music
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. track — to keep track
  18. object — to protest
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rule — government
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bark — to shout
  24. track — a path

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