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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: rule · scale · press · last · bark · hide · leaves · pitcher

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bark — to shout
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rule — government
  7. scale — size or range
  8. last — finally
  9. rule — a law
  10. scale — in music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. last — final
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. hide — to keep secret

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