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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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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — to eat
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bark — to shout
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pass — to spend time

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