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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bark — to shout
  3. march — the month
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mug — a face
  8. band — a ring
  9. march — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. band — a music group
  14. march — the month
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mug — a cup
  22. branch — a division
  23. mark — a grade
  24. ruler — for measuring

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