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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: rock · content · object · ruler · leaves · bark · deal · drill

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. content — the amount
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. deal — to handle
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. object — to protest
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. content — happy
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. bark — to shout
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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