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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 120 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: ground · leaves · ruler · chair · saw · bark · stick · wound

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ground — crushed
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ground — a position
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chair — a professorship

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