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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.

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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: key · bark · perch · board · tear · fan · saw · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. perch — the fish
  7. board — a committee
  8. tear — from crying
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — in music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bark — to shout
  15. board — to get on
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tear — from crying
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rule — government
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. key — the most important part

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