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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the sport
  6. season — in sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. season — of the year
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wind — moving air
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wind — moving air

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