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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: stick · chair · foot · bark · ruler · lean · rest · clip

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. clip — for paper
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. clip — a video
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — thin
  10. foot — a measure
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rest — a break
  19. bark — to shout
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chair — a leader
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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