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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: object · present · bark · ruler · cell · rush · rest · craft

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cell — a phone
  3. object — to protest
  4. present — there
  5. craft — boats
  6. rest — a break
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. object — a thing
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cell — in biology
  14. present — a gift
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. object — an aim
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bark — to shout
  24. present — the time now

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