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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: ruler · pop · straw · spell · bark · can · hide · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pop — music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. can — a tin
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. spring — of water
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. spell — magic
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — soda
  18. spell — a short time
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. spell — letters
  24. spring — a coil

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