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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rule — a law
  11. chest — a box
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. dip — to sink
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. club — a group
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. club — for golf
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. plane — in geometry

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