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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · can · ruler · bark · staff · squash · march · spring

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. march — the month
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spring — of water
  12. squash — the sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rest — what's left
  16. march — the month
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rest — a break
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. staff — employees
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. can — a tin
  24. staff — employees

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