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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ruler — for measuring

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