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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rule — government
  4. last — final
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. last — to go on
  11. rule — a law
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — in football
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. last — finally
  19. land — ground
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — of a tree

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