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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. march — music
  6. bound — tied together
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. row — a line
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. march — the month
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bark — to shout
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — boats
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. craft — a skill

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