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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. can — to be able to
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. bound — certain
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hand — in cards
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. can — a tin
  24. hand — help

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