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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cue — for pool
  4. tear — to rip
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bark — to shout
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. band — a music group
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cue — a signal
  21. band — a ring
  22. cue — a hint
  23. present — there
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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