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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — to get on
  7. tube — the underground
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. board — a committee
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wind — moving air

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