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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — for catching
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bark — to shout
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. net — in sport
  19. rule — a law
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. net — after costs

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