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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bark — to shout
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mark — a trace
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rule — government
  9. race — humankind
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kid — child
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. race — a contest
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mark — a grade

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