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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. present — the time now
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spring — the season
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — a gift
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. present — there
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mine — for digging
  22. spring — of water
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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