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

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. snap — to click
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wound — an injury
  9. land — ground
  10. ground — a position
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. toast — bread
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. land — to come down
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bark — to shout
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wound — an injury
  24. land — a country

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