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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mug — a cup
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bark — to shout
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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