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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. drill — the tool
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rule — a law
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. suit — in cards
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rule — government
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rule — to rule out
  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