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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. branch — a division
  6. track — a song
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — an illness
  9. track — a path
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. track — to keep track
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ruler — a monarch

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