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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 · roll · pass · pound · hide · nail · trunk · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — government
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bark — to shout
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. roll — a list
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. roll — a cake

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