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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. last — final
  4. track — a path
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. ground — crushed
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — a song
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bark — to shout
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. row — a line
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. ground — a position
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. track — to keep track

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