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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: wake · bulb · coach · mine · bark · cell · ruler · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mine — for digging
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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