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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rock — music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. file — a tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spell — magic
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. net — after costs
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bark — to shout
  12. file — a document
  13. net — in sport
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mine — for digging
  17. row — a line
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. spell — a short time
  21. file — a line of people
  22. net — for catching
  23. spell — letters
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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