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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: mate · shower · ruler · wind · leaves · bark · ground · saw

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. shower — rain
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wind — moving air
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. ground — a position
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bark — to shout

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