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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rock — music
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. swing — in golf
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. swing — music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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