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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: tear · bark · cue · rush · season · drill · mug · ruler

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cue — a signal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mug — a face
  13. drill — a practice
  14. season — of the year
  15. drill — army training
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mug — a cup

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