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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 116 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cold — not warm
  3. track — a song
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. hand — help
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bound — obliged
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bound — certain
  15. cold — an illness
  16. track — a path
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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