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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bound — obliged
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. clip — for paper
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bound — tied together
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cue — for pool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. clip — a video
  22. bark — to shout
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cue — a hint

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