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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: saw · bark · net · mouse · ruler · race · rash · wound

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. race — the arms race
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. net — after costs
  9. rash — a series
  10. bark — to shout
  11. race — humankind
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. net — for catching
  18. rash — hasty
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. net — in sport
  23. race — a contest
  24. ruler — a monarch

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