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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spring — the season
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. spring — a coil
  10. saw — the tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. spring — of water
  19. suit — to fit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bark — to shout

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