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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. shower — rain

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