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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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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: chair · lie · hide · club · foot · rule · tube · bark

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lie — to recline
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rule — government
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bark — to shout
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. club — for golf
  13. tube — the underground
  14. club — a group
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chair — a leader
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lie — an untruth

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