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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 124 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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. roll — a list
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a word
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. root — the cause
  10. rash — hasty
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. branch — a division
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rash — a series
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wound — an injury
  22. root — of a plant
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bark — of a tree

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