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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · cue · bark · ruler · wake · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bark — to shout
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tear — to rip
  18. 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