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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. can — a tin
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. pop — music
  7. object — an aim
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. net — for catching
  11. can — to be able to
  12. net — after costs
  13. pop — to visit
  14. shower — rain
  15. can — a tin
  16. object — a thing
  17. rule — government
  18. row — a line
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pop — soda
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. net — in sport

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