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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — a thing
  7. hand — help
  8. object — an aim
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rest — a break
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. object — to protest
  24. hand — in cards

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