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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.

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: rush · rule · kick · safe · plane · pass · game · bark

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. kick — in football
  11. pass — a permit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bark — to shout
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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