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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rest — a break
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — a line
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. tube — a container
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rest — what's left
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — certain
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — obliged
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. row — to paddle
  24. tube — in a tire

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