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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. staff — employees
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cell — a phone
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. band — a ring
  15. cell — in biology
  16. hand — in cards
  17. staff — employees
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hand — help
  21. staff — a stick
  22. band — a music group
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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