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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · saw · field · bark · chair · lie · hide · ruler

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. field — a subject
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a dance
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. field — for sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. field — farmland
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. lie — to recline

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