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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. land — a country
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — of water
  9. land — ground
  10. pound — a weight
  11. land — to come down
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. current — electric
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. current — happening now
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bark — to shout

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