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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. content — happy
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. mug — to rob
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bark — to shout
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. clip — to cut
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — of the year
  17. mug — a cup
  18. content — the amount
  19. mug — a face
  20. bank — for money
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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