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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. tube — the underground
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. spring — the season
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — of water
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. spring — a coil
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. tube — a container
  24. bark — to shout

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