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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · temple · rule · bark · face · ruler · deal · rest

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bark — to shout
  5. deal — to handle
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rule — a law
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rule — government
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rest — a break

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