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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bank — for money
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. drill — army training
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — a practice
  18. sharp — clever
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. pop — music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. calf — of the leg

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