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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. spell — magic
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spell — letters
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mouse — the animal

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