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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. race — humankind
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. file — a document
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. race — a contest
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — the arms race
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hand — help
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. foot — a measure
  20. prune — to trim
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bark — to shout

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