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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. chest — a box
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chest — of your body
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — to wash
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bound — obliged

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