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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. field — a subject
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — for money
  6. face — part of the head
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bark — to shout
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bank — for money
  12. field — farmland
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. track — a song
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hand — help
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bank — of a river
  21. field — for sport
  22. track — a path
  23. lean — thin
  24. hand — part of the body

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