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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: tear · game · ruler · chest · bark · object · roll · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. tear — to rip
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. object — an aim
  6. roll — a list
  7. game — wild animals
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. game — a match
  15. object — a thing
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chest — a box
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. roll — a cake
  22. chest — of your body
  23. object — to protest
  24. tear — from crying

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