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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. band — a ring
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. band — a music group
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. tube — a container
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rush — hurry
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — a face
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mug — to rob
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. row — a line

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