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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: straw · rest · bank · bark · ruler · hide · sharp · game

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. game — a match
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bark — to shout
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — a break
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bank — for money
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bank — of a river
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rest — what's left

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