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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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Word bank
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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: wind · rock · rule · can · ruler · bark

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. can — to be able to
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — government

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