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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: wave · bank · mouse · bark · cell · ruler · prune · drill

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bark — to shout
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cell — a phone
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bank — for money

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