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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. saw — the tool
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pop — soda
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pop — music

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