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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 120 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rule — government
  3. bulb — for light
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. last — to go on
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. last — final
  20. pass — a permit
  21. last — finally
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. calf — a young animal

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