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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. kid — child
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bank — of a river
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bound — certain
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mark — a grade
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bank — for money
  23. mark — a trace
  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