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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. perch — the fish
  3. march — the month
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. spell — letters
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spell — magic
  12. bark — to shout
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. march — the month
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. spell — a short time

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