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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. bark — to shout
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cell — a phone
  14. kick — in football
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mate — a partner
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. branch — a division
  23. staff — employees
  24. cell — in biology

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