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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. drill — army training
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wind — moving air
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mouse — the animal

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