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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · roll · bark · sharp · ruler · chair · plane · hide

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chair — a leader
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. plane — a tool
  13. roll — a list
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wake — a trail

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