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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bark — to shout
  4. object — a thing
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a ring
  9. object — to protest
  10. last — finally
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rash — a series
  14. object — an aim
  15. rock — music
  16. game — a match
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. last — final
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rock — a stone
  22. band — a music group
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. last — to go on

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