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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wind — moving air
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — a weight
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bark — to shout
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cell — in biology
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. leaves — lets stay

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