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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. row — a line
  3. suit — clothes
  4. row — to paddle
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — after costs
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fall — the season
  14. band — a ring
  15. suit — in cards
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. band — a music group
  20. bark — to shout
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. net — for catching
  24. nail — for a hammer

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