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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. kick — in football
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — to come from
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. kick — a thrill

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