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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: fall · ruler · squash · lean · calf · mark · bark · mine

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lean — thin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. calf — of the leg

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