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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. firm — decided
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. firm — a company
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. scale — size or range
  11. spring — of water
  12. firm — steady
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bark — to shout
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spring — the season
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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