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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cold — an illness
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cue — for pool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cue — a signal
  12. craft — boats
  13. bark — to shout
  14. band — a music group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. band — a ring
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cue — a hint
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mouse — the animal

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