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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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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: staff · kid · wave · ruler · bark · roll · lie · tube

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. tube — a container
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lie — to recline
  20. roll — a list
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. kid — child
  24. tube — in a tire

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