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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mug — a cup
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. row — a line
  10. mark — a trace
  11. tube — the underground
  12. row — to paddle
  13. last — to go on
  14. mug — a face
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chair — a leader
  17. last — finally
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. last — final
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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