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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: rule · file · bark · degree · stick · rush · bulb · season

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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 — a dog's sound
  2. rule — a law
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. season — of the year
  13. rush — hurry
  14. season — in sport
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rule — government
  23. degree — from a university
  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