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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wake — a trail
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. clip — a video
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. swing — music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. swing — in golf
  14. scale — in music
  15. clip — for paper
  16. craft — a skill
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bark — to shout
  23. craft — boats
  24. scale — size or range

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