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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. key — for a lock
  4. season — of the year
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. key — the most important part
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rule — government
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. key — in music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. season — in sport
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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