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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bass — low music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bass — the instrument

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