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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: bark · bank · wind · kick · plane · mug · rule · chair

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bark — to shout
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rule — a law
  8. mug — to rob
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bank — for money
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bank — for money
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wind — moving air
  21. kick — in football
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mug — a cup
  24. chair — to sit on

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