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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — a price
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mine — for digging
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. prune — to trim
  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