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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: can · bark · hide · file · staff · spell · degree · ruler

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. can — a tin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bark — to shout
  5. file — a document
  6. staff — employees
  7. file — a tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. spell — magic
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a line of people
  21. spell — letters
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. hide — to keep secret

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