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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: jam · board · rule · bark · wake · file · leaves · mug

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wake — a trail
  8. file — a tool
  9. rule — a law
  10. board — to get on
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rule — government
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mug — a face
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. file — a document
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mug — to rob
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. file — a line of people

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