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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 116 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: dip · rash · clip · mark · bark · lean · wake · rule

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rule — government
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lean — to bend
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rash — a series
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rule — a law
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. clip — a video
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rash — hasty

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